A follow-up EEG study in diabetic children
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Insights
Diabetic children with unstable blood sugar (labile) showed more abnormal electroencephalograms (EEGs) than those with stable control. Some EEG changes in these children appear acquired due to diabetes metabolic disturbance.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Diabetes mellitus in children can affect neurological function.
- Electroencephalograms (EEGs) are used to assess brain activity.
- Previous research suggests a link between metabolic control and neurological findings in diabetic patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate EEG abnormalities in diabetic children.
- To compare EEG findings between children with stable and labile diabetes control.
- To explore the relationship between diabetes control, metabolic disturbances, and EEG abnormalities.
Main Methods:
- Recorded 498 electroencephalograms (EEGs) from 195 diabetic children.
- Classified children into stable and labile diabetes control groups.
- Subdivided the labile group into hypoglycaemic, ketoacidotic, and mixed subgroups.
- Analyzed EEG findings for abnormalities, including generalized discharges, spikes, sharp waves, focal findings, and diffuse slowing.
Main Results:
- Labile diabetic children exhibited significantly more EEG abnormalities than stable children.
- Abnormalities were more prevalent in generalized discharges and focal findings, not diffuse slowing.
- No statistically significant difference in EEG abnormality was observed between hypoglycaemic and ketoacidotic subgroups.
- The labile group showed a higher incidence of increasing EEG abnormality during follow-up.
Conclusions:
- Some EEG abnormalities in diabetic children are acquired and linked to metabolic disturbances from diabetes.
- Other causes for EEG abnormalities may include genetic or perinatal factors.
- The multifactorial etiology of these EEG abnormalities limits routine EEG use for monitoring metabolic disturbances in diabetics.
Abstract:
498 electroencephalograms (EEGs) were recorded from 195 diabetic children during a follow-up study. The children were divided into stable and labile groups according to diabetes control. The labile group was further subdivided into hypoglycaemic, ketoacidotic and mixed groups. In general it was found that the labile children had significantly more abnormal findings in their EEGs than the stable children, as expected. This applied particularly to generalized discharges with spikes and sharp waves or focal findings, but not to cases with only a diffuse-slowing. Nonstatistical differences in EEG abnormality were seen between the hypoglycaemic and ketoacidotic group--an unexpected finding. During the follow-up the labile group more often had an increasing EEG abnormality than the stable group. For those children who had an EEG abnormality but without an increasing tendency, there was no difference in the EEGs between the labile and stable children. It was concluded tht some of the EEG abnormalities are acquired, and apparently produced by a metabolic disturbance caused by diabetes. However, other causes may be of genetic or perinatal origin, or perhaps a combination of different causes. Because of the multifactorial aetiology of the abnormalities, EEG cannot at present be recommended for routine testing of the effects of metabolic disturbance in diabetics.